The misunderstandings of nonverbal communciation
by PepperonyOwl
Summary: One Shot. Believing that she has brought nothing but trouble to her family and that her love for Ranma is one-sided, Akane starts a training journey across other continents. Her family gives chase but in the end only Ranma remains persistent in his feelings for her and follows her wherever she goes. How much will it take to bring back the old Akane, the one Ranma fell in love with?


Disclaimer: Not mine, don't own anything and don't make any money off writing this.

It's a one shot, please enjoy. It will be dark and suicidal at the beginning but no character death and some more romantic and naughty themes near the end (nothing explicit). Let me know what you think.

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Akane missed it – missed him. She had never been quite sure what to call their relationship; it had been dysfunctional at the best of times. Now she had to question whether there had ever been one at all.

She had always thought that even if they couldn't bring themselves to say the actual words, it was obvious that Ranma loved her. He protected her, fought for her and beside her. He'd gone above and beyond what he'd done for anyone – so had she. They had risked life and limb for each other. Surely that was love. And at times when she was honestly upset he would actually willingly turn into a girl and spend the day hanging around and chatting and generally spending time together and allowing her to vent her feelings to another female. He would actually listen and console her. As far as she knew he'd never – not once – done that for any of his other fiancées.

And yet, here she was. He had admitted to being attracted to Shampoo physically at least whilst always emphasizing how even his own body as a female was so much more appealing to look at than her own. She didn't quite know when but at some point she had started believing him. No one had ever disputed what Ranma said. The only men ever interested in her had been mentally ill – challenging her to battle, not interested in anything she said, praising her but not knowing her. Everything she experienced lent credence to Ranma's often hurtful words.

And at some point she had started believing him.

Akane had never been a good cook and she couldn't sow to save her life. She had failed in all the arts that women were meant to excel at; in anything but Martial arts she had always been clumsy rather than graceful, loud and boisterous rather than quiet and demure. She by no means fitted the typical female image – not even when she had tried so hard for Doctor Tofu. Martial arts had always been her refuge. She had outshone all her sisters without even trying and her father had affectionately called her his little prodigy. She had thought herself capable of defending herself and her own honour. She didn't need a man to do it for her and she thought that this must be attractive to some men – surely? She could hold her own in a fight, wasn't afraid of bruises, didn't revert to a sobbing mess at the tiniest wrong word.

But she'd been wrong. Oh boy, had she been wrong. Men interested in her were either nuts or sought her as some sort of prize; Hey I beat the girl that was pretending to be a tomboy – look, she's following me like a lost puppy now. It had been more to put her in her place and have her as their complacent female, a prize to show the other cavemen to show off their prowess for having her submit to them.

Though she would never admit it, in her heart of hearts, Akane had wanted a fairytale; a knight to sweep her off her feet.

And in some ways, Ranma had done that. He'd swept her from her feet and she'd fallen for him, head over heels. She had risked her life for him and she knew she'd do it again. She hadn't realised what was happening before it was too late. Ranma had fought her battles for her despite her protests and, though she couldn't pinpoint exactly when, at some point she had given up her token protests against it. He'd fought for her as her female replacement in the rhythmic gymnastics tournament and, as much as it had galled her to admit, he had won where she would have likely failed with her inherent clumsiness. He had been all grace and with instincts and an intuitive passion for the martial arts that she would never be able to compare herself to, even if she trained all her life. Her dad had called her a prodigy – but next to Ranma she was an amateur.

But that had still been somewhat acceptable. Ranma had been her fiancé and she did like the idea of him protecting her rather than the other way around. It had been a small issue, but something she could have handled.

What did damage her confidence though was the way that she could not even hope to compare to any of his other fiancées; both Shampoo and Ukyo outshone her easily in terms of skill, experience and talent.

She had always accepted not being able to perform the more 'womanly' tasks as she had thought her skills in the martial arts and this mutually exclusive. Since she'd met Ranma she'd been shown up again and again, proven wrong time and again by his challengers and his fiancées. It was not a rule, it was only her.

Shampoo was the epitome of feminine charm, graceful yet deadly. She could cook fantastically, massage and was probably well versed in anything a woman needed to know to satisfy her husband. Ukyo, whilst dressed as a boy, was irrefutably beautiful, a fantastic cook as Ranma so often emphasized and already had her own – and very successful – business. Both, whilst using very different styles, were incredibly skilled martial artists that even Ranma struggled to fight against occasionally.

Both had so much to offer to Ranma whilst Akane had not progressed sufficiently to even offer a challenge to either of the girls. She couldn't cook – despite her numerous tries -, couldn't sew, couldn't defend herself and all over she was simply a liability. She had nothing to offer Ranma if they chose to marry.

Even he had seen that and retracted his confession of love. The heat of the moment and the despair during the fight must have made him say what she had so longed to hear. Her heart still beat faster whenever she remembered his words and yet now they left a bitter aftertaste for whilst she loved him he did not reciprocate as he had so clearly shown.

The marriage ceremony had failed and Akane couldn't even bring herself to be upset about it anymore. It was clear that Ranma would never have found her desirable and whilst clearly interested in the female form he had never shown any interest in her – and the few moments she had thought him interested he had clearly refuted and pointed out how much more attractive everyone else was.

Closing the curtains, locking both windows and doors and checking her room for any hidden intruders – which, sadly enough, was not as rare an occurrence as one might have liked it to be, before slowly undressing and forcing herself to look at the mirror.

All too easily her memory recalled Ranma's frequent insults. Fat thighs, wide hips, built like a brick, flat chested. And as she stared at her naked body she could see what he was talking about; she'd obviously let up too much with the martial arts and her body had become sloppy. Her breasts had never been able to compare to Ranma's bigger ones. She carefully fitted her hand around them – they felt soft and fleshy but far too close to her chest – she could easily fit one in her hand.

Her stomach was thankfully still relatively flat but not toned, her hips were impossibly big for her body and she had no curves as Ranma or Shampoo had. She had no idea if her bum measured up or not but thought it safe to assume that it was probably lacking as well. Her thighs – she used her hands to touch and felt the soft flesh. Either too much exercise which would give her bulging muscles – not at all attractive for a female – or fatty, slobby tissue. She didn't like either option.

Carefully looking into the mirror it was as though it was a stranger standing in front of her. A momentary though made her open her wardrobe, thinking that maybe she could just find the right clothes and she'd look okay again, attractive again.

But after trying skirts and trousers, dresses, blouses and shirts she gave up, slowly collapsing in front of her mirror, body wracked with silent sobs as she accepted her reality. She was unattractive and no matter how hard she tried she would never look good. The body she was born with was insufficient; she was insufficient. Not pretty, beautiful or cute. Only her own hand in front of her mouth stifled the noise of her sobs and she watched as her face turned blotchy, red with tears running down her face she couldn't deny the truth any longer. She was ugly. She was unlovable. There was nothing remotely appealing or desirable about her.

She could feel the emptiness spread through her, a black void inside her that was screaming and crying and pulsing with pain in every breath she took. She curled up in bed and silently told herself that finally facing the cold hard facts was nothing to cry about, that she should suck it up. Nothing had changed. It still took her another few minutes though to stop the tears and when she finally fell asleep it was to the empty depths within herself thrumming in time with her heartbeat.

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Almost mechanically, Akane got dressed for school the next morning. She knew she needed to be nice to everyone for putting up with her violence and her mood swings and her inability to be successful at anything. Her empty stare in the mirror was calm and she felt as though all this was unreal. She tried a fake smile but it looked just like that – empty. Nevertheless, it might be enough to fool them for today. There was no time for more.

She calmly grabbed her belongings and went down to the kitchen.

"Good Morning."

Various greetings echoed back and she took her usual seat, barely managing a few bites before determining that she'd had sufficient nutrition. She still intended to get rid of the fat thighs, if she could. It wasn't much, but it was something.

"Yo, Akane, you still having that?"

Wordlessly she pushed the remains of her breakfast over to Ranma who quickly devoured them with a thanks. Thanking Kasumi and assuring her that she had simply had too much for dinner and that her breakfast was truly delicious took less effort than she had thought.

Grabbing her schoolbag, she put on her shoes and walked off to school. Halfway there, Ranma caught up.

"HEY! Would it have hurt you to wait a bit? Jeez!"

"Sorry. I was unaware that you wanted to walk with me."

The black haired boy stumbled and only just regained his precarious balance before addressing her, a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Hey- it's... It's nothing like that. It's just – You'd never be able to fend off another attack from Kuno so I am just here for your protection."

Brown eyes flitted over to Ranma emotionlessly, the emptiness thrumming inside her, repeating the latest hurtful words to herself.

"Thank you in that case. I am sorry, I should have waited for you."

Akane nodded slightly - she really was rather incompetent at the arts when compared to anyone else. It was something she had to accept and be grateful for Ranma who was protecting her even now when he so clearly didn't want to. And here she was, putting him through even more trouble with rushing his breakfast and trying to catch up with her. That was not very nice of her.

Ranma on the other hand, face faulted and this time did lose his balance and landed in the cold water. Quickly making his way back up he arrived in front of Akane. Slightly unsettled by the blank stare she was giving him, he quickly checked her temperature.

"You okay? You never apologise."

Heart speeding up with yearning at Ranma's proximity and the concern he displayed, Akane took a step back before fixing her eyes on him again.

"I am fine, Ranma. And I am sorry for worrying you."

The frown was easily dispelled by a blush and a fixed look off into the distance.

"You're not worrying me. You're just behaving oddly."

"I was trying to be nicer to you. Thought it'd be worth a shot."

"Well, you could've told me. Not that I was worried or anything like that... Just... I will try too."

Akane nodded absentmindedly. Of course he wasn't worried, she knew that. Despite her thoughts her heart ached at every one of his words and the black emptiness inside her only seemed to grow, coldness suffusing her being to the point where it was becoming hard to fake the smile.

Luckily they soon arrived at school. True to his words, Ranma fended of Kuno for her whereas Akane noticed that her senses for impending danger had not made themselves known. She'd not even lifted a finger to protect herself. She momentarily worried – when Ranma married one of his other fiancées he could not stay around to protect her. She had to protect herself again – not rely on him. But it seemed she had forgotten how to.

She had forgotten what it meant to fight for herself, to live and breathe the martial arts. She had forgotten about the one thing she had been good at, the one thing she used to have a passion for. How had everything fallen by the wayside once she met Ranma?

The day passed by in a blur of voices and faces and by the end she only knew two things. She needed to let Ranma choose between his other fiancées and she needed to go on a training journey.

She knew immediately where she wanted to go to and she knew what she needed to do to divert everyone.

It was simple, so simple really.

Nabiki had always been more out for profit than any emotional attachment. Kasumi she was sure loved her, but it was the love of someone who could not love every single human being on the planet. She was not sure if she ranked anywhere above anyone else on the planet. Kasumi would miss her as much as she would the neighbours and besides, she had Dr. Tofu to keep her occupied.

Dad had his other daughters. He'd not really been interested in her opinions or thoughts for a long time and she was sure in time the memory of the person he would have liked her to have been would overpower reality and soon he would not miss her at all.

Genma didn't care one way or another as long as the family's reunited. And Ranma – Ranma had told her himself, numerous times and in numerous ways, how much he disliked her and their engagement. It was time for her to leave him to do as he wished. This had not been fair for him. He'd spent two years of his life with everyone trying to force them either together or apart and she had been incredibly harsh with him as well.

Ranma could finally have the life he wanted.

It had taken her a long time but now, finally, she realised how much easier everyone's life would be without her, without her disrupting and destroying everything they tried to attain. She'd tried to take Dr. Tofu from Kasumi, interrupted Nabiki all the time from her schemes, stopped her father and Genma from finding different ways to continue the family line and put Ranma's entire life on hold.

Her smile was bitter. So much gone wrong because of her. So much grief for everyone; including Shampoo and Ukyo. She really wasn't anything but a hindrance.

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Ranma frowned, staring at the beautiful blue-haired girl who was walking slightly ahead of him. She had been very absentminded all day. Even when Ukyo and Shampoo had turned up at lunch time she'd been nothing but polite instead of taking out her mallet or calling him pervert.

It wasn't like her to be so quiet and he didn't like it; not one bit. His girl was meant to be fuming, a flush on her cheeks and a spark in her eyes, tension in her body and all her focus on him. He loved her when she was angry; it was thrilling and she looked more alive and beautiful than anyone he had ever seen in any of his travels.

But now, there was no skip in her step, no emotion in her face and it simply didn't fit her. His Akane was turmoil of emotions – happy, sad, angry, excited; she could change within the blink of an eye. He had seen her at her best and her worst and he loved every side of her, even if he still hadn't figured out how to handle a crying Akane.

He loved her, plain and simple. And he knew that, but if he admitted it he'd be standing in front of an altar marrying her faster than he could protest. There was nothing wrong with marrying Akane; he'd imagined them spending their lives together more than just once but not so soon. He wanted to end his other engagements, court her, take her out on dates and have the courage to talk to her openly. He wanted to hold hands and kiss her in public and private before they got married. He didn't want it to be an arrangement; he wanted it to be a romantic fairytale.

He'd known fairly early on that that was what Akane desired above all else. Their relationship was not based on words – if it were, he was fairly certain it would've been over before it would have ever had a chance to begin. No, their relationship was based on their interactions, their looks, their way of protecting each other whilst still insulting each other, soft touches and caresses, warm looks and embarrassed glances. They didn't need to say the words out loud to know how they felt.

But maybe he should say something? She didn't exactly seem sad but she certainly wasn't upset either. It was as though all the emotions had drained from her.

Just as Ranma opened his mouth to say something, Akane interrupted.

"Oh dear, I forgot. I need to pick something up from Dr. Tofu. Could you let Kasumi know I'll be a bit late?"

Confused Ranma nodded and watched as she disappeared down the path they had just come from.

"Bleh, I'll never understand women."

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"Wow, this tastes fantastic, Kasumi. I'd never be able to make something this good."

Kasumi blushed under her younger sister's uncharacteristic praise.

"Thank you, Akane. "

The others easily complimented the food as well and Kasumi felt a rush of pleasure at everyone's affirmations. She knew her cooking was good but appreciation every now and then did feel good.

"Of course you wouldn't. Your food is toxic at the best of times!"

Ducking under the expected swing – which never came – Ranma frowned at his dispassionate fiancée. Everyone carefully placed their plates back down on the table – having expected it to become a weapon against the boy-who-simply-couldn't-keep-his-mouth-shut.

"Don't be silly, Ranma. Of course my food could never measure up to Kasumi's. She'll be a great wife for Dr. Tofu someday."

Blushing at the attention now having been diverted to herself, Kasumi carefully folded her napkin before addressing Akane again. She was glad her sister had restrained herself from attacking Ranma. Maybe their wedding bells would be heard sooner than everyone thought?

"How was your day?"

"Nothing exciting. Kuno attacked and Ranma had to defend me as always. Ukyo came by for lunch. It was actually a rather quiet day, comparatively."

Ranma frowned momentarily at Akane's phrasing – he wasn't quite sure what was awry but something inside him had set off warning bells. His father's attack on his food distracted him sufficiently to put it out of his mind for the moment though.

Dinner passed in a pleasant chitchat, whilst Akane was especially kind and paying attention to all her family. For a last supper, she thought, this was rather nice. Everyone left in high spirits to go to bed early.

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It had been almost too easy to mix the sleeping drug she'd obtained from Dr. Tofu – allegedly for herself – into everyone's tea.

By eight o'clock that evening the dining room was empty and everyone was in their beds.

Akane allowed herself enough time to write out her notes and she left them in envelopes on the dining room table and in her bedroom. She quickly sorted through her room though she'd done most of it before dinner already.

With a last sad look and touch she left the Tendo Dojo, intent on never returning. She'd say goodbye to her mother's grave and then she would be on her way and out of the country – in a disguise, of course. On the off chance someone would try to find her.

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Kasumi tiredly rubbed her eyes, vaguely wondering what had caused her to be so fatigued that she'd fallen asleep and slept the night through. Now she needed to rush to have everyone's breakfast set up in time. She preferred having the time to make what everyone preferred for their bentos but now there was no time.

It took her a second glance upon entering the dining room before she noticed the envelope on the dining room table. Hesitation and a feeling of panic and danger coursed through her. This, whatever it was, was not good news. Still, moments later she gracefully folded her legs under her as she sat down and picked up the envelope addressed to everyone.

_Dear Kasumi, Nabiki, Dad, Genma and Ranma,_

_I, Akane Tendo, hereby, on my own free will, officially and completely annul my engagement to Ranma Saotome. _

_I apologise for all the grief I have caused you over the years (and all the property damage). I will always carry you in my heart. _

_I am travelling the world. I hope to at least improve my martial arts, even though I know I will never attain even Shampoo's or Ukyo's level or mastery I came to realise that I could not rely on Ranma to protect me. He will decide on someone he loves and wants to marry at some point – he can't follow me around 24/7 and protect me. _

_Over the last few years I have managed to thoroughly screw everyone's life up. I have been ungrateful and a burden; for that I apologise. I know I cannot make amends for all that I have done and for all the troubles I have caused you._

_Know that I will never forget your kindness or your selflessness. I will always carry you in my hearts. I know you did not love me as you loved each other and I apologise for not realising sooner how hard this must have been for you to pretend. I know that this is utterly my fault, not yours and I bear you no ill will for it. I could not fulfil your dreams of a good martial artist, father, nor those of a good daughter or wife. For that, I offer my deepest regret._

_I hereby renounce the name of Tendo, so as to not shame you, my family, any further during my travels. I will not set foot into Japan again and leave you to live out your lives in peace. Please forget about me, forget I ever existed. I will be fine wherever I go and please do not look for me. You will not find me._

_I love you, always._

_Akane_

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"Oh dear god, what have we done?"

Sobbing, Kasumi stared at the letter her youngest sister had written. How had she not seen that she had been heartbroken? How had she failed to notice that her sister doubted that they loved her?

Shaky legs allowed her to stand up and run up the stairs, hoping that her father would somehow be able to fix this.

"Father! Father!"

She stumbled over the steps, barely holding onto the railing before pulling herself up again. Akane needed her now.

"Kasumi?", Nabiki looked tired but alerted by the fact that for once it was Kasumi who was doing the shouting.

"What's wrong?", Ranma lazily scratched his stomach whilst stretching, looking at her before pausing at the expression on her face.

"Is it another Dojo Destroyer?"

Pale and with shaking hands, Kasumi handed him the letter.

"It's Akane."

That seemed to wake up the rest and everyone crowded around to read the letter.

Kasumi stared at her father, hoping to see something that would allow her hope. Once Akane had traversed the sea she had any number of countries to choose from; finding her was nigh impossible.

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"No! Akane!"

With a sprint Ranma pushed open the door to her bedroom. What he saw had him gaping – all her clothing was sorted into two piles, in bags; clearly labelled for Nabiki and for recycling. Her bedding was undone and folded and all her personal effects must have already been brought to a bin somewhere.

It was empty, as though no one had ever lived here. No cute clocks or bedding, no nick nacks, no martial art or exercise items, no pictures. It was empty. Hollow.

Blue eyes kept frantically scanning the room until they landed on an envelope on her night stand, clearly labelled 'Ranma'.

Feeling numb he picked it up before sitting on her bed as he opened the envelope.

_Beloved Ranma,_

_I now know you never felt for me as I have for you and I apologise for forcing you to protect me over all these years. Instead of being allowed to live your own life and find a woman you love you were stuck staying with me and protecting me to be an honourable man._

_For that, I apologise. I somehow made myself believe that you loved me. I know how ridiculous that must sound to you, but I truly love you with all my heart and I thought that maybe you would as well, given time. You will always be the epitome for me of what a man should be like. I love you and I always will._

_But I am standing in your way. Our fathers are obsessed with the idea of marrying us and I know you would never find my desirable or attractive. My martial art skills are far inferior to yours and those of your other fiancées. I have no cooking skills or other womanly arts I could compete with. I was never a match for you and it took me two years to realise, despite your repeated attempts to tell me. I am sorry for not realising sooner what you were telling me so plainly. I had deluded myself into thinking I was attractive to you and I don't know why I didn't realise sooner what you were so clearly telling me._

_You don't love me, you don't find me attractive, you would never want to marry me and by now, after two years of protecting me, you must be thoroughly sick of me. I know you only said what I wanted to hear, when you thought I was either dead or dying. You were and always have been an incredibly kind hearted soul. Your sheer talent and ability – the speed with which you pick up new techniques is astounding. You are a master of martial arts. I always thought myself skilled and as soon as I met you, you outshone me. The ease with which you defeated me amazed me then and still does. I should have realised then how much you outclassed me._

_No matter; I have ended our engagement officially. I am no longer a Tendo. You are free to be who you want to be with, love whom you will and be happy. I will always love you but I want to see you happy more than anything and it never occurred to me before that I was the one making you unhappy in the first place. Please forgive me for my lack of perception._

_I leave you to a future with endless possibilities. May you get everything you wish to have and attain all your dreams. I hope you will always be happy with whoever you chose as your partner. Please know that you are worth so much more than anything your father ever wanted for you. You are worth everything you ever dreamed of having._

_I will love you, forever and always. Be happy._

_Love,_

_Akane_

_PS: I know it seems a ridiculous thing to ask of you as I am sure you would decline yourself, but should my father or yours send you after me, please decline. You are free and I have no wish to be found. I will only cause you all further unhappiness._

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It took a while for the roaring in his ears to stop as Ranma stared at Akane's letter.

He hadn't – it hadn't... She'd been this beautiful, confident person when they had met. It had never occurred to him she would actually take anything that he said seriously. He thought she'd known that all he was doing was try to make her angry because she was incredibly hot when she was furious. But Akane had taken his words to heart, had believed them.

She'd left. She'd left him.

And she loved him. Irrevocably. Finally admitted to it, but now she was gone.

She'd ended their engagement.

A part of him was angry with her for not talking to him, for taking the decision from him. Another part, bigger part, was incredibly upset for ignoring the signs she'd been showing for weeks now, if he was honest. He'd not realised how upset she was and now she was somewhere out there, without him; thinking he hated her.

The irony of it all. He loved her above everything and everyone else. He loved her more than life itself. She was his life, his everything.

And he'd broken her heart and her self-confidence. He'd turned Akane into this shell of a woman who was unsure if even her family felt anything more than mere affection for her.

"Oh god..."

Kasumi couldn't hold in the whimper as she saw Akane's room. The rest quickly followed before staring in still astonishment at the bare room. As if- as if she had never lived here in the first place.

"What have we done?"

Nabiki's words echoed through the silence as everyone stared at the barren room.

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Ranma, Soun and Genma all quickly got their gear together to search for Akane. Nabiki and Kasumi were to stay at home in case she returned, though no one had much hope of that happening.

They quickly realised that she had taken different disguises and it took them several days before they found out about this 'homeless man' taking the train to the coast where the ferries went to overseas.

It took looking over several security tapes before they located her on one of the ferries – this time as an elderly woman.

Once in China they lost track of her for several weeks, only picking up hints here and there.

It was proving a long, hard road to finding Akane. She had gotten farther than anyone anticipated, had gone where no one expected and chosen disguise and directions so they hadn't known where to look.

Increasingly worried for her health and survival, the three men split up, hoping to cover more ground.

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It had been surprisingly easy to get fake credentials. The man had tried a... less than proper approach on her but a few handgrips, quick disarming and hand on his throat quickly eased the way to obtaining a couple of fake identities.

China was only ever a stop en route to the places she wanted to head to.

It was sheer luck that she stumbled upon a hermit in the mountains she was traversing who was quick to teach her about survival, edible plants and fruits and where to sleep in exchange for her tent.

The information was worth far more than the tent as it told her where to seek cover and how survive without cooking.

The weeks subjected to icy winds, wild animals and thunderstorms hardened her. She learnt which water to drink and which to boil and make drinkable. In the beginning her stomach was unused to the different bacteria in the water and for days even simply drinking water made her throw up. She persisted and her stomach acclimatised.

She knew she was lacking protein but due to her lack of cooking skills she had no choice. Every now and then she forced herself to spend hours hunting fish or a rabbit (they were too quick) and grill it over a fire. Somehow they always ended up charred and almost inedible, but she ate it anyway, knowing she needed it.

And she trained – speed, running, katas. She pushed beyond when her body told her to stop. In the beginning she pushed too far, too often. She collapsed, unconscious and would only wake up hours later – sometimes with wild animals around her. She learned when to push and when to stop until she could continue.

Her body seemed continuously tired and she knew she'd lost too much weight but a part of her thought that in the end it didn't matter. Ranma would not be attracted to her either way. Despite the distance between them her thoughts still dwelled on him alone.

When she was alone, in a cave, shivering she'd remember the way his arms had felt when they had wrapped around her, remembered his hot breath ghosting over her ear. And she'd wonder if she'd wake up in the morning still or if she would end up falling asleep forever, dreaming of Ranma and never waking up again. A part of her thought that it wasn't such a bad way to go.

Yet she woke up as soon as light broke and continued her march. She had bloody scrapes across her body from frequent falls and injuries as she tried to run through the mountainous terrain as training. She knew they could get infected yet part of her didn't care. There was no reason to care. She took superficial care of the cuts when she remembered. Her body was lagging and failing as she continued, lack of sustenance and nutrition, lack of care and exhaustion as well as exposure to the elements had her straining to even set one foot in front of the other some days.

It was luck that had her meeting another martial artist en route – one willing to train her in exchange for company on their way. She would hunt the food and he'd cook it.

Her body recovered. Muscles developed with the nutrition and exercise – her kata improved as did her speed and she learned two new techniques before they journeys took them into different directions.

Over the next month she exchanged belongings for food where she could and had to fight against several men trying their luck with her. Part of her was still surprised at her continuous survival.

It took her over a year to reach her original destination: Israel. During that time she learnt from several different martial artists, incorporating the different styles into her own and learning techniques where she could.

Now she was in Israel to learn Krav Maga – something she had only heard about but had always been intrigued by.

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Genma gave up after three months. His son's engagement was not worth this amount of hassle. He stayed with the various families in his panda form and did not inform either Soun or his son that he had given up, though he suspected that his son suspected at the very least.

Soun held out until six months before he returned to Japan. He cried and mourned the loss of his daughter, unable to continue his search with the lack of leads they had. Winter was coming and he was too old to withstand the weather out in the wild. Kasumi and Nabiki tried to help him, though both grieved themselves and the house was engulfed in an atmosphere of hopelessness.

Nodoka came over, looking for her son and upon finding out the news provided the Tendo's with a ray of hope as she soon became an intricate part of their lives by aiding and counselling, providing stories and an ear as needed.

Kasumi soon thereafter started seeing Dr. Tofu more often as he cheered her up when she was upset.

The house was still empty, but slowly its inhabitants rejoined life even though they never gave up on finding their youngest again and filling the house with laughter and cheer.

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"I love you, Akane."

The blue haired girl had been staying at a martial artists' tournament for a bit and now the man in front of her was blushingly confessing his love for her.

She couldn't help the lack of emotion she felt at his words. No increased heartbeat, perspiration or fluttering in her stomach. Just the same, empty hollowness echoing through her.

"I thank you for your interest but I am sorry, I cannot reciprocate."

Bowing slightly Akane retreated. It was time to leave this place, this was just the last push she had needed. Love her, pah. Ignorant fool.

Everything inside of her was so empty, so hollow. She had hoped this would change it – but it hadn't.

She'd gone to the place where the art was performed to its extremes, where the best of the best challenged each other. Over the last year she had improved, there was no mistaking that; she was now capable of beating artists she wouldn't have had a hope of even holding off for a minute before.

But... her blood was not pumping anymore, her body not heating up with excitement and pleasure, her heart not beating with dread and victory simultaneously. There was none of the passion.

She used to be a martial artist, breathing and living the arts – her life had been the arts. She'd rejoiced in every challenge, loved every victory and strived hard to improve at ever beat down. She had embodied the arts, become them – fluid movements, cold precision, fast manoeuvres and a passion that had brought a smile to her face every time she engaged in a fight.

Now... now she was a groupie, pretending to be an artist. She knew all the movements, had all the techniques but she didn't live for it, breathe it, didn't think the world would end if she could not practice tomorrow. Her blood had stopped thrumming in her ears and even now her heart remained cold. It seemed, that when she had given up Ranma she had given up herself – her martial arts and her life. It didn't matter.

She smiled at the poor man who had deluded himself into thinking she could offer him anything but grief and upset.

Saying her last goodbyes she grabbed her bag and made her way onwards. She had nothing else besides martial arts, so it didn't really matter to anyone but her pride if she was nothing but a poor imitation of what she could have been. She would learn and master more for as long as she could. Until she died. Hopefully, maybe soon. There was no reason to remain here and everything seemed to take so much more effort now.

Cold, brown eyes surveyed the latest fighters once more, ignoring the young man standing at the side looking upset at her departure. Time to leave.

The blue haired girl left Mongolia in direction of Russia. Cold, harsh winters. She had won enough tournaments to at least afford her the clothes she'd needed and the supplies.

No matter. Nothing mattered any more. A part of her vaguely wondered if she'd remain emotionless for the rest of her life, emptiness beating in time with her heart throughout her. She wondered if Ranma had chosen- had he married Shampoo? Or Ukyo? Or someone else altogether? Had he found love? Happiness? Had he been able to get rid of his curse?

Ranma, the only one that caused her to feel anything anymore – even if it was only a deep sense of longing and a deep ache from missing him.

Ranma. She hoped he was happy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~##~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Grumbling slightly, Ranma climbed the last bit to the plateau where the tournaments for renowned martial artists where held. Akane had seemed to head into this direction so he'd taken a chance.

It had been over a year now since he'd last seen her. He missed her. It had become startlingly clear to him how much he'd relied on her always being there. Even when he'd gone on secretive training trips she'd somehow shown up.

He loved their banter, loved the way she flushed when she was embarrassed and the way her eyes seemed to light with an inner fire when he had made her angry again. He loved her, plain and simple. He'd known that, but not how much he would miss her.

And by all accounts this was not the Akane he knew. Everyone had described her as quiet, acquiescent, eager to learn but dispassionate. Everything Akane did, she did with passion. She was passion. From martial arts, to learning swimming or cooking – anything and everything. She loved with abandon and passion. She loved him and she didn't think he would be looking for her.

He wanted her to know that she was worth so much more, was worth any and all trouble, that she was his and he wanted to be with her for all his life. That there would be no happiness unless it was with her.

"A blue haired girl you say - about this high, doe eyes, really good at martial arts but really cold? Akane?"

"Yeah- that's her. Is she here?"

"Damn shame, you just missed her."

Ranma sighed. Story of his life. Of course. Just missed her.

"By how long?"

The man frowned. "I don't know, 3-4 hours? From what equipment she'd gathered I reckon she's heading towards Russia."

Ranma jumped up, startled. Only hours, not weeks? All tiredness forgotten he rushed off into the direction the man had pointed. He easily jumped smaller distances, excitement coursing through him. She was here, she was close by.

It only took him two hours to catch up – he could see her blue hair and he didn't think he'd ever run this fast in his life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~##~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Akane frowned. She was sure she was in wilderness and yet it sounded as though there were footsteps fast approaching. Easing off her pack she went into a fighting stance, uncertain if the idiot from the tournament had followed her in a moment of lovesick lunacy or if this was a bandit.

What she didn't expect was for her heart to pick up speed as it recognised the movements and jumps even before he landed in front of her, allowing her eyes to scan familiar features with uncertainty.

This was... unexpected to say the least.

"Ranma?"

"Akane..." She had no idea what to think of the tenderness in his voice or the fact that he must have been searching for her for over a year. She could see the stubble on his face, the new scratches and marks on his arms, the lack of washing and the tiredness that hung like a shadow around him. But now he seemed aglow with... happiness?

She was confused.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~##~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What are you doing here?"

Ranma frowned.

"What do you mean what am I doing here? I was looking for you, stupid."

Well, that hadn't quite come out the way he meant to. Weren't there meant to be declarations of love now?

"But why? You're free. The engagement is annulled. You are not honour-bound to protect me anymore."

Flabbergasted, Ranma stared at her but there was still no sign of recognition. He grasped her arms, shaking her mildly before sinking his head onto her shoulder in a sign of frustration.

"You, Akane, are the most infuriating person I know. So many misunderstandings..."

"Misunderstandings?"

He heard the words echo and see her uncomprehending stare, making him groan.

"Can we go back to that place you just came from? With hot baths and food? I promise, I'll explain everything."

He watched as her face melted into a cute frown.

"But I could just go on and you can go back to Japan. I'm fine."

Rolling his eyes he stared at her.

"Seriously? You think I followed you this long just to go – oh yeah, she's fine? Besides, you're not fine. You are a stick person."

Emotion flickered across her face for once, confusion, desperation, longing – before settling back into confusion.

"I'm sorry – what?"

Gesticulating, Ranma explained.

"Stick person – you have lost a scary amount of weight, Akane. You need some fattening up!"

Self-consciously, Akane looked down on her body. She had known she'd lost weight but she hadn't been able to bother enough to eat sufficiently or find sufficient food. Her body didn't mean anything beyond its ability to perform martial arts.

The most stupid thing she could think off popped out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

"My thighs aren't fat anymore."

The look Ranma gave her could only be qualified as horrified.

"Oh god, Akane." His voice sounded so upset and she found herself wanting to sooth it, despite not knowing what had caused it.

"I – you were perfect, Akane. I just wanted to make you angry. I am so, so sorry. You are the most beautiful person on the planet for me."

Blue eyes sought out hers as his rough, calloused hand tenderly stroked her cheek.

Her voice came out in a whisper as a yet unnamed desperation rose in her, overwhelming the emptiness. She wasn't sure what this meant but it made her heart beat faster and her blood rush and for the first time in a year her body was reacting to another person's touch.

"Even now?"

Her voice was breaking at the words, sadness filling her up at the thought that she'd once again ruined everything.

But as if nothing had ever happened, the quirking of Ranma's lips – so familiar still – and the heat in his eyes reassured her even before he said the words.

"Even now. You are always beautiful to me, Akane."

There was a pause as they simply gazed into each other's eyes.

"Come with me?"

There was no hesitation and her body responded to the invitation before her mind ever had a chance to catch up. Her hand was in his as he led her safely across the rocks and back to whence they came.

"Ranma?"

"Hmmm?"

"I – I don't understand. I thought you hated me?", Akane's voice was low, vulnerable and caused Ranma's thumb to caress her hand softly as he responded.

"Akane, I have never hated you. I don't think I could ever hate you."

"Okay – disliked?"

Ranma's laughter took her and him by surprise. The relief coursing through his system at such an Akane-like response in irritation made him feel years lighter, almost as though the last year hadn't actually taken place.

"No", he finally replied with barely suppressed amusement in his voice. "Not disliked or hated or abhorred or anything else you can come up with."

Akane remained quiet for a while, thinking about his words, hope blossoming in her chest just as she intentionally squashed it again. She didn't want the heartbreak of finding out what he did mean if it wasn't what she expected.

"Akane? Did you mean everything you said in your letter? Do you actually feel that way?"

It was something that had nagged at him the entire time. Had she actually thought he was not interested in her?

"Every word."

Her response was calm and inevitably his mind reminded him of the fated three words she had also written in the letter. He blushed and squeezed her hand in acknowledgement.

The rest of their return trip passed in quiet, both simply basking in the other's presence.

"Ah- Akane, you have returned quickly."

The blue haired girl sent an embarrassed smile at the genial old man from the guest house.

"Change of plans. My apologies for the inconvenience."

"Nonsense, we are glad to have such a skilled female martial artist back here so quickly. Your room is still available. But – sir – I am afraid it's the last one we have."

Ranma almost groaned. Goodbye comfortable bed. Akane – after undertaking extensive travels herself – easily recognised the signs.

"Ranma, you can have the bed. I have slept on it often anyway over the last few weeks."

Ranma coughed in surprise at the sudden mental image of sleeping in the same bed she'd slept in. A blush covered his cheeks even as he responded in denial.

"You get the bed, no argument Akane."

The old man was now staring at them in surprise – in all the time she'd been here Akane had expressed no emotions and certainly no interest in any of the men here despite several attempts. Now she was offering to sleep in the same room?

Catching the man surprised glance, Ranma interjected before Akane could.

"Sorry, I never introduced myself. Ranma Saotome, Akane's fiancé."

Noting the lack of denial – despite her stunned expression – he shook hands with the young man, judging his strong, firm handshake and firm eyes as a man that could be trusted.

"Would you like a hot bath and food?"

"Oh god, yes – Please.", Ranma groaned in relief. He hadn't had a break in weeks and never mind warm water. "That sounds heavenly."

The man showed them to Akane's room where Ranma easily dropped his belongings. He hesitated momentarily before leaving Akane, searching out her eyes with his own.

"You'll still be here when I return?"

Smiling hesitantly, Akane nodded.

"I promise."

Satisfied, Ranma turned and followed the man to the baths.

"Wedding fright?"

Surprised, Ranma snorted in laughter. "I wish. A lot of bad circumstances, badly chosen words, lack of words and general all around misunderstandings. You think so much is said without words before you realise the other party never understood any of the nonverbal communication."

"You love her."

Ranma's eyebrows raised themselves in surprise as he halted to stare at the man. Finally, he shrugged and agreed.

"Yes, I love her."

He had walked for nearly one and a half years. He'd come for scraps of information and hopes. He had barely anything to go on and nearly died several times on his journey. He didn't want to know how she'd fared. And yet he'd never once even contemplated giving up and returning to Japan, to his life. Without her, there was no life.

And it was time to say it out loud. Half hearted attempts and nonverbal cues would not suffice this time.

"Does she know?"

Sighing, Ranma scratched the back of his head.

"No. For whatever reasons she thinks I hate her."

The man laughed at him.

"Then she is blinder than I thought for everyone can see how smitten you are with her."

"Yeah – see? First mistake. That's what I thought, too."

Ranma's grumbles quietened as he felt the heat from the hot bath and breathed in deeply.

Amused, the old man pointed to the Yukata he could borrow and wished him well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~##~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Instead of taking the time he'd wanted to bathe he'd rushed, a part of him worried and anxious over being apart from Akane for so long now that he had finally found her again.

Half running through the halls he finally arrived back at their room. Knocking, he hesitantly opened the door only to find Akane sitting on the floor, back to the bed, fast asleep. The book in her lap was nearly closed, only a finger holding apart the last pages she'd been reading.

Smiling in relief he quietly closed the door before kneeling down next to her, intent on gently shaking her awake. To his surprise he found himself face first on the ground with an arm twisted behind his back before he could touch her.

"Err... Akane? Not that I mind you being on top, but could you release my arm?"

Akane blinked, once, twice before finally her sleep-addled brain caught up with the request. Blushing, she released his arm and jumped back.

Ranma turned around and grinned at her.

"Nice reflexes. I see these months have done you good. I'd love to go against you in the ring once you're healthy again."

Akane frowned.

"I am not ill."

"You are too thin. You're skin and bones. Your hair used to shine with health, now it's lost that shine. You're lacking nutrition but nothing we can't fix. Now, where do we go for food around here?"

Akane sighed. Some things never changed.

She pulled him along with her to the dining hall, sitting down at one of the tables by the window. As expected Ranma quickly filled two plates at the buffet before handing her one of them with instructions to "Eat up.".

By silent consent they decided not to speak until they were back in the privacy of their room. Unfortunately into the middle of their quiet dinner came Nobuke, the man Akane had only rejected this morning.

"Akane, you have returned. You have changed your mind, yes? You do love me? Would you like to join our table?"

Bored brown eyes looked up from the food she'd been massacrat- err, eating to the youth in front of her. Was he really that dumb?

"I told you this morning, I am not interested."

Ranma watched in surprise, quiet for the moment.

"But you came back. That has to mean something!"

Akane had just opened her mouth to tell him where he could stick his love when Ranma intervened.

"Sorry to disappoint but she came back with me. Hi – Ranma Saotome. Akane's fiancé."

„Wha- Bu- She never said…"

Akane glared at him and Ranma easily smirked back.

"Well I wouldn't tell everyone all my private affairs either. What's your point?"

"But – she's been here for weeks without you."

Ranma snorted, leaning back on his chair.

"Are you seriously suggesting she can't defend herself or that she needs me to lord over her 24/7. Do you think we have that little trust in each other? Be serious, man. I am sorry for the misunderstanding and the pain, but please leave us alone."

The man visibly retreated before finally nodding hesitantly.

"I apologise for disturbing your evening. I wish you all the best for your future."

"Thank you." Akane nodded at the man, only frowning at Ranma once he'd left her field of view.

"The engagement was annulled."

Ranma stared at her, before quickly finishing the remainder of his food.

"I think you are forgetting that an engagement involves two parties. I did not agree, therefore no annulment. As easy as that. You are still my fiancée just as I am still yours."

Together they walked back to their rooms.

As soon as the doors closed behind them, Ranma knew this was his chance.

"Akane – we need to talk. Let's get comfortable – this might take a while."

After a moment of awkwardness, both situated themselves on the bed, facing one another.

"I... Right, this is going to be embarrassing as hell to say out loud so I'd appreciate if you didn't hit me or laugh until I'm done. Okay? ... Right. I – In your letter you said some things I'd like to address. I- I'm not very good at this emotional talking, okay? But I realised that there were some fundamental things we need to clear up as not talking is clearly not telling you everything."

Clearing his throat, Ranma grabbed whatever courage he had, reminding himself of all the things he'd been wanting to say from the moment he read the letter until now. A blush on his cheeks, blue eyes met brown ones, needing to assure her of the truthfulness of what he was saying.

I – I love you. From the moment, where I sat, as a girl at your dining table, embarrassed and being groped at by your sister – the moment you laid your hands on me and looked me in the eye I thought you were beautiful. When we fought and I beat you – you smiled. You looked radiant, stunning. I fell in love with you then. I didn't realise just how much until later but I've loved you ever since then. I was too scared to not say it when I thought you were dead. I am sorry I backed out later but I thought you'd still know it was true; I just wanted time for us before we were being married off. I wanted to enjoy time to get to know you, go on dates, k-k-kiss before we married. I wanted to propose to you. I wanted you to be certain. I am sorry for not making that clear."

Ranma breathed out, watching Akane's wide deer-caught-in-the-headlights look and the flush on her cheeks. He couldn't help the tender smile on his lips, relieved at finally having told her.

"Regarding my other fiancés: Ukyo will always be a great friend to me, but she is like a sister to me; nothing like... a lover." He shuddered despite himself at that thought.

"Shampoo is... off her rocker. I understand honour better than most people but forcing yourself on others is not honourable. I would not marry her even if she were the last person on earth."

He breathed out again, before reminding himself that everything did need to be said.

"There has never been anyone but you. I don't find the other girls attractive in the sense of ... that I want to... you know... do things with them."

He flushed bright red and was at least rewarded with a similar colour on Akane's face.

"I am sorry for insulting you. I don't know how to explain this without getting hit so here goes. You – When you are angry, your eyes light up with this sort of fiery passion, your entire body goes stiff – and I mean your entire body – ", Ranma added, flushing, glancing down before quickly making eye contact again. "You are just... incredibly hot when you are angry."

Ranma flushed, even his ears were burning.

Akane looked surprised, before hesitantly enquiring "Hot?"

Ranma blushed further.

"As in I have f... fantasies where you look like that. As in you are incredible desirable when you are angry. I just... I love how passionate you are – about everything. You put so much emotion, so much thought into everything and I just love to have you focused on only me and completely impassioned. I think your figure is perfect. You are"

Despite his tries his voice took on a husky quality as he described his thoughts further to his fiancé. Oh, she was going to kill him. Slowly. With a slight grin he hoped that she'd look angry when she was doing it.

His hands now slowly traced the contours of her body, following the dip in for her waist and back out for her hips, eyes darkening with arousal and pleasure before he refocused to say the words. It was amazing she hadn't hit him yet.

"You are the perfect hourglass figure – the one that everyone envies. Your body is incredibly curvy and your hips are very hot. Your thighs are perfect and ah- so is your bosom. I love your body. I- Despite what you thought I think you are very desirable."

God, he was going to an early grave. Dead meat. He'd definitely hammered the last nail into his coffin with that one and yet his mouth was dry and his hands still rested on her hips and the blood pounding in his ears was definitely not due to fear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~##~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Akane's mind swam. He loved her? Not Ukyo? Not Shampoo? Her body? He liked ... her body?

"I..."

Self-consciousness swam through her but she knew how hard it must have been for Ranma so she continued.

"Do you dream... of me?"

Her eyes were wide and fixed on his.

"In what way...?" He hesitantly asked, before shaking his head. It didn't matter he dreamt of her in all the ways.

"Yes, I do.", Ranma admitted, renewing the blood flow to his cheeks.

"I dream of us, together, in twenty years time ... and with-" He coughed "with children."

Rubbing his shoulder slightly to ease the tension he continued.

"And I dream of ... making love with you."

Blood pounding, ears roaring he stared at her with that admission. Maybe it was her hesitant smile or the small flash of happiness he'd seen in her eyes but for whichever reason he decided to continue talking.

"I- I remember what... when we first met in the bathroom. I- You were... I was only looking for a moment but I had been caught by surprise. You were incredibly attractive and all I could think about ever since. You are perfect in every single way and if I could, I would not want to change a single thing about you."

Ranma watched as the tension seemed to ebb from her shoulders and her entire body and for the first time she smiled at him – an honest, wide smile with tears sparkling in her brown eyes.

"I love you. I'll keep saying it as often as you need and want me to, Akane. I love you. You are the one for me."

In a flash, Akane was in his arms and hugging him tightly. He was worried about the difference in weight and how tiny she was when his arms encompassed her, but those were things to watch for the future. For now, life was good. His goddess was here, in his arms. Over the last year, travelling alone in search for her or her body it had forced him to mature, to confront his feelings and thoughts. And here she was, in his arms and it had all been worth it. Every hardship, every moment he went hungry; it was worth it.

"And Akane"

She looked up, brown eyes trustingly fixed on him.

"You are more than you think you are. You are an impressive martial artist and yes, you can't cook or sew but who cares? You do something far more important. You fix people."

Akane stared at him, puzzled. "I do what?"

Ranma chuckled and Akane's attention was momentarily diverted to his chest as it vibrated with the noise.

"You, my dear Akane, fix people. You see problems or people and you fix them. You don't know what a huge complex I had when I met you about my female side. And you just... took it all in stride; you defended me and aided me. You are the single most incredible person I have met. You fix people, you help them become a better person. And if there is a problem you go out and you solve it. You are stubborn and you have an infinite amount of compassion. You are incredibly valuable. So many people are missing you. You have touched so many lives."

Ranma felt his heart swelling with emotion for the girl in his lap who looked dumbfounded.

"I love you."

It seemed hard to stop saying it now that he'd started.

"I- Are you sure? Me?"

Ranma chuckled before kissing the top of her head.

"I'd only ever love you. My one and only."

And the dam of emotion she'd held back, burst and Akane ended up crying herself to sleep in Ranma's arms, both curled up on the bed together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~##~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Akane woke up to a hand softly stroking her face. Opening her eyes in curiousity she closed them again immediately, a blush staining her cheeks.

She had never seen such an open, vulnerable expression on Ranma's face. It still stunned her – the amount of love she'd seen reflected in his eyes, the words he had said to her last night.

The arm around her waist tightened briefly, closing any gap there might have been between their bodies and allowing Ranma to place another chaste kiss on her forehead.

"I love you."

"I- Ranma?"

"Hm?"

"I love you too."

Smirking mischievously, Ranma tapped her nose.

"I know. I have even got it black on white."

Akane laughed slightly and noticed with slight hesitancy that the empty feeling in her chest was greatly diminished. All she could feel was love and trust for the man who had walked for a year and a half to find her.

"Soo..."

Oh no. She recognised that leading, teasing tone.

"You seemed very keen to find out if I found you desirable last night. Any particular reason?"

Suddenly Akane thought she knew how the sheep felt when they realised that one of their own was actually a wolf. Her cheeks flushed.

"I- maybe?"

Laughing, eyes sparkling with mischief and ... something unidentifiable, Ranma turned them over until he was on top of her, one of his legs between hers, the other on the outside.

"Only maybe?"

His hot breath ghosted over her ear and she could feel his body heat over her, her breasts touching his chest just as a shudder of pleasure ran through her. Ranma's eyes widened at the reaction he hadn't quite expected or intended before leaning down again, making sure to brush against her slightly in an upward movement before gently blowing against her neck again.

"So you like that, huh?"

A quickly indrawn breath and wide eyes were his answer before she bit her lip as he body involuntarily rose up to meet his slightly.

Now this... this was interesting.

Her breathing was fast – as was her pulse rate – and her cheeks were flushed, eyes dilated as she lay helplessly below him, staring up.

"You like this?"

"I-Yes"

She looked embarrassed at the admission and with a mischievous grin Ranma leant down to repeat his previous actions, leaving her gasping beneath him. The feeling of power was exhilarating and her reactions were so very arousing to watch. God, he loved how responsive she was to his every movements and words.

"What about this? Do you like this?"

Before he could think about his actions and before she could protest his mouth closed around her neck, nipping, licking and tasting her.

She rewarded him with a drawn out moan and hands gripping his shirt tightly in pleasure.

Now this view he could get used to.

"So... Any naughty thoughts about me, Akane?"

Her wild eyes flashing guiltily to his were answer enough but he prodded anyway.

"Ever thought about me? Like this? On top of you? Or maybe you on top?"

"Y-Yes. Once or twice."

"You like what you're seeing?"

Her nod made him grin. It was always good to have confirmation.

"If it helps I really like what I'm seeing too. This is a good look for you – blushing, aroused, happy... at my mercy" The last was added with a wicked grin, causing Akane's eyes to snap open, angry fire in them before quickly dying down.

"Now, whilst I would love to finish what we're starting... We haven't seen each other in a year, maybe we should talk? Have a couple of dates?"

Akane, about to reply, abruptly stopped as Ranma's hand, teasingly ran down her body, between her breasts – careful not to touch either lest he get slapped – down her body in a straight line to just below her belly button before pausing. He looked up and the fire in her eyes had definitely changed.

His throat suddenly dried just as trousers tightened further. He had never seen anyone look that hot before. The next moment a hand was on his neck and pulled him down for a kiss – their first kiss.

Soft, warm lips touched dry lips and a tingle went down her spine to her toes just as Ranma let out a groan. Within seconds their lips were moving passionately, hands tangled in each other's hair and shirts, moans swallowed up just as their tongues hesitantly started playing with one another. It took several half-hearted attempts and over half an hour before they finally separated.

"You know, if I had tried talking to you we might have been doing this a lot sooner..." Akane looked at her again-fiance who grimaced to her surprise.

"Are you insane? If Nabiki hadn't caught us to snap pictures, then one of our dads would have been arranging the marriage, my mom would have gone on and on about how I should have you naked already if I were a man among men and Kasumi wouldn't have looked at us for days before lecturing about chastity before marriage. No, I'm glad we're here. Just us."

His hand squeezed hers softly and Akane found herself smiling up at him.

The future was looking good. Any problems they could handle – together. And she liked the intimacy and the assurances that Ranma was willing to give her. She loved him, with all her heart. Together they could conquer the world – though maybe they should start with the Tendo house... in a bit.

With a few quick manoeuvres Ranma was on his back with Akane astride him, unbuttoning his shirt.

"Err... Akane?", Ranma gasped out as her hands trailed over his bare skin, leaving behind a trail that felt as though he was on fire.

"What are you doing?"

Her mischievous smile was nearly his undoing as it did something for him he hadn't expected.

"I have always wanted to touch you."

He was sure his eyes had left his head and he barely managed to gasp her name as his hips moved against her, causing the grin on her face to melt into a very seductive smile as her hand stroked his upper body.

"I meant your chest, dummy."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~##~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE END

Let me know what you thought, please?


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